The National Academies

The National Academies: What You Need To Know About Infectious Disease

What You Need To Know About Infectious Disease

Prevention & Treatment

Government Policies

Keeping our nation safe from disease outbreaks depends on effective and well-coordinated programs that monitor public health. What are some of the key efforts at work in the United States?

Public Health Capacity

Public Health Capacity

Multiple federal agencies work together to keep an eye on the spread of infectious disease and identify outbreaks as early as possible.

Keeping our nation healthy requires an effective public health system. The involvement of many state and federal agencies in monitoring disease has its pros and cons. Find out more. 

More about public health capacity

Food Safety

Food Safety

The safety of the U.S. food supply is overseen by more than a dozen federal agencies implementing at least 30 different laws.

In recent years, as the nation imported more fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products, our food supply system has become more complex. Making sure the foods in our markets are safe is a challenge. Learn more here.

More about food safety

Explore Other Topics

What do you know about infectious disease?

 

Of the more than 1,700 known viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that infect people, how many have come from animals?

 

 

 

  • Sorry, that’s incorrect.

    More than half of the known pathogens that infect people have come from animals. Of the 37 new infectious diseases identified in just the past 30 years, two-thirds sprang from animals.

  • Sorry, that’s incorrect.

    More than half of the known pathogens that infect people have come from animals. Of the 37 new infectious diseases identified in just the past 30 years, two-thirds sprang from animals.

  • Correct!

    More than half of the known pathogens that infect people have come from animals. Of the 37 new infectious diseases identified in just the past 30 years, two-thirds sprang from animals.

Infectious Disease Defined

Suburbanization

The process of land conversion and development around the periphery of major cities.

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National Academies

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